Dovetailed Cherry Cabinet

This small wall cabinet was built of cherry and features a turned walnut knob, frame-and-panel door pinned with walnut dowels, and a dovetailed drawer and case.

For a finish, two sealer coats of clear shellac were applied, then lightly sanded. Next, four coats of Minwax antique oil were applied and rubbed out using #0000 steel wool. After one week of curing, clear paste wax was then applied.

Yes, they were hand cut. A combination of hand tools and power however.I used a trim router to hog out waste after cutting the lines with a traditional saw, then just cleaned up with my chisels. That has become my preferred method – as opposed to doing everything with a saw and chisels alone.

FYI – to be honest, I cannot take credit for designing the cabinet. It was from an article by Matthew Teague – in case anyone wants to build it. I had some scraps in the shop and decided to build it as a gift for my wife’s aunt and uncle, who just built a new home.

Zach: Yes, you are correct. The door’s rails and stiles all have a groove cut around the interior perimeter. The panel has a rabbet cut around it’s perimeter and the two then fit together. The rails and stiles are joined with pinned bridle joints – a very easy joint to cut using a tenoning jig you can build yourself.